The impact of The impact of the TSUNAMI of 26the TSUNAMI of 26thth

December 2004 on the December 2004 on the Fisheries Sector:Fisheries Sector:

Socioeconomic ImpactsSocioeconomic Impacts

Oscar Amarasinghe

University o Ruhuna

Damages to the fisheries sector- Damages to the fisheries sector- PropertyProperty

Fisheries harboursFisheries harbours (CFHC)(CFHC) 1,441 m1,441 m Cold rooms/ice plants/equipment (CFC)Cold rooms/ice plants/equipment (CFC) 2,146 m2,146 m Damages to NARADamages to NARA 348 m348 m Damages to NIFNEDamages to NIFNE 186 m186 m Damages to CCDDamages to CCD 555 m555 m Damages to DFARDamages to DFAR 132 m132 m SUB TOTALSUB TOTAL 4,808 m4,808 m Destroyed and damaged housesDestroyed and damaged houses 25,940 m25,940 m Destroyed and damaged crafts/gearDestroyed and damaged crafts/gear 8,268 m8,268 m SUB TOTALSUB TOTAL 34,208 m34,208 m TOTALTOTAL 39,016 m (39 billion)39,016 m (39 billion)

Loss of IncomeType of craft No. of units out

of operationLoss of Net Income (annual)

Loss of Net Income

(daily)

Multiday Craft 597 170 m 0.47 m

Day Boat (IBM) 818 158 m 0.44 m

17-23 ft

OBM

7,286 1,202 m 3.3 m

Trad. Mechanised

1,007 91 m 0.25 m

Traditional 10,844 265 m 0.73 m

Total Loss of Income – Annual = Rs. 1,886 m

Total Loss of Income – Daily = Rs. 5.19 m

Drop in Fish Production

Before Tsunami 255,000 mt

After Tsunami 73,000 mt

Estimates of Coastal and offshore fish production

We are now producing only 28% of what we produced before the Tsunami

Drop in Fish Supply-Consumers suffer

However, there is a drop in demand which has temporarily managed this deficiency

Loss of EmploymentType of Craft Crew

members / craft

No. of Crafts out of operation

Loss of employment

(active fishers)

Traditional

Non-mechanised

2 10844 21688

Trad.mechanised 2 1007 2014

17-23 ft OBM 2 7286 14572

Day boat with IBM

4 818 3272

Multiday boat 6 597 3582

TOTAL 20,552 45,128

Loss of employment(supporting services)

• For 45,128 fishers, there are 225,640 people providing auxiliary services

For each fisher, there are about 5 persons providing auxiliary

services

Fish merchants

Fish vendors

Suppliers of fuel & ice

Fish Processors

Therefore the total number of fisheries-dependent population having lost their means of living amount to

45,128 + 225,640 = 270,768

Loss of Dwellings and Displacement

Number Value

Houses-Destroyed

21,330 24,080 m

Houses-Damaged

9,486 1,672 m

Displaced Families

61,654

Displaced Persons

233,843

Loss of lives

• No. of deaths = 7,222• What is the social cost of this loss? IMMENSE

Statistical Value of life(loss of productivity)

The present value of all future incomes earned by an average Sri Lankan with an average age of 40 yrs and expected to

work for another 15 yrs would be about Rs. 600,000. In that sense the statistical vale of lives lost would be Rs. 4,333 m

But people are not only production agentsThey are fathers, brothers, sons, friends, kinsmen, etc.Therefore the sentimental value of people is very high

and cannot be measured in monetary terms

What can be doneWhat can be done Short Term MeasuresShort Term Measures Replacement of lost crafts, engines and gear Replacement of lost crafts, engines and gear Repairing damaged craftsRepairing damaged crafts Provision of houses (temporary).Provision of houses (temporary). Provision of facilities (ice, marketing)Provision of facilities (ice, marketing)

Long Term MeasuresLong Term Measures Implementation of coast conservation measuresImplementation of coast conservation measures Permanent HousesPermanent Houses Development of facilities (harbours, anchorages, cold rooms, ice Development of facilities (harbours, anchorages, cold rooms, ice

plants, Research and training: NARA, NIFNEplants, Research and training: NARA, NIFNE Disaster preparednessDisaster preparedness Warning systemsWarning systems

Danger of overexploitation of coastal resources

Likelihood of overestimation of crafts, engines and gear losses.

Danger of increased fishing effort on coastal fisheries

MSY = 349 t Emsy =7690 MSY = 437 t Emsy =9108

MEY = 284 t Emey =4386 MEY = 343 t Emey =4877

Actual=347 t Eactual=7055 Actual=297 t Eactual=3827 C

Ee1 e2 e30

TR

TCMSYMEY

OAE

C

Ee1 e2 e30

TR

TCMSYMEY

OAE

Hambantota West Rekawa

Sensitive areas can be identified on the basis of institutional strength

Conservation Rules exist

Conservation Rules do not exist

Access Rules exist

Resources LimitedHigh Fishing Pressure

STRONG FISHER ORGANISATIONS

Access Rules do not exist

Resources abundantLow Fishing Pressure

WEAK FISHER ORGANISATIONS

Distribution of crafts and gear

1. In the process of issuing crafts, engines and gear, get the participation of well functioning and strong fisher organisations, if such exist. If fisher organisations are weak, do not place high reliance on their recommendations.

1. Get peoples participation in deciding beneficiaries (to minimize informational asymmetries)

2. Commence registration of all crafts and gear. Only such crafts should be allowed to fish.

3. Why replace with same crafts and gear

• The possibility now exists to shift some of the coastal fishermen to less-exploited

offshore and deep sea sectors

The draft National Fisheries Policy too identifies the need to shift people from coastal to other less

exploited fisheries

Settlements: The 100 m zone

Existing no-built zones (1997 CCD Plan)

The new 100 m rule WHY??? A no-built zone itself will not provide

protection against Tsunami It is likely to be a coast conservation

measure (will be of value only if such measures are planned. Danger of ending up this zone in the hands of hoteliers)

Implications of the 100 m zone for fisheries

• Is it true that fishermen have to live within the 100 meter zone?

– Not necessarily, if facilities to keep engines and gear are provided, and if access to the beach is not made difficult.

– Examples: Rekawa, Kalametiya, Godawaya

(Hambantota District)– There are also many non-fisheries

interests in the march against the 100 m zone

Settlements: Major Issues

Access to the beach – to be made easy Social disruption (severance of communities, social groups, ethnic

and kin groups)-ensure minimum disruption (People’s Participation) Organisation of fishing activities

Beachseining – use labour in cooperation

Nets are laid when a shoal is located. Therefore, they should live close to the shore. Therefore, settle them close to the shore (elevated houses)

OR provide them with crafts to exploit deeper waters Reduce Labour time lost on travelling Ensure safety of gear Ensure Safety of People (location of houses & type of houses)

Types of houses

Urban (flats) (elevated houses?) –Problem is greatest here

Rural (single storey houses)-think of safety (think of elevated houses based on contour mapping)

Evacuation plan (evacuation routes, locations, traffic control plans)

Install disaster warning system

Deficiencies The Sri Lankan administration does not have the required

capacity and the skill to handle the present crisis. Although fisheries is the major sector affected, the Minister of

Fisheries is not a member of the national or regional disaster management committee!!!

The administration is moving at a slow pace, where as the needs are very urgent and need fast action. The possibility of contracting with boat yards in foreign countries (ex.South Indian) has not been probed yet (SIFFS is a possibility).

Donors need proposals (concrete project proposals at different levels) in a matter of one or two days and the administration is unable to cater to this need.

A number of donor agencies, foreign teams, NGOs are working independently, without consulting the relevant authorities.

Most of the funds are channeled through NGOs (they have their own agenda , utter wastage of funds by distributing goods not required by Tsunami victims, use of funds to build their own strength, missionary work, duplication of work (too many fishing crafts and gear are distributed), etc. etc.

The participation of local scientific community in reconstruction and rebuilding remains very low.

Even the 100 meter rule is only a cabinet decision (which cannot be enforced).

When the victims are not provided with permanent houses, they are compelled to rebuild their houses in the 100 m zone (what is the alternative??)

There are a large number of victims who want to shift to alternative locations of their choice (they do not want to shift to houses provided by the state; they belong to the upper middle class).

Most of the plans for reconstruction and rebuilding were based on the fact that, a Tsunami takes place once in thousands of years. The Tsunami warning of 28th of March 2005 disproved this. Therefore, fresh plans may have to prepared.